Drought tolerant sun plants

These perennials tend to either tolerate or enjoy hot, dry, sunny garden conditions. A few actually need these conditions to thrive, others will need some moisture from time to time but are considered drought tolerant.

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Achillea 'Moonshine' is an easy to grown, mounding yarrow with bright yellow flower heads over silvery foliage, growing 18 to 24" high and wide. It looks great with Agastache, Salvia, and other purple flowering sun plants!

Achillea 'Paprika' is a nice yarrow with red petals and sulphur-yellow centers blooming 24" high on strong stems over lacy green, fern-like foliage. This is one of the best red yarrows we've grown and works great in the hot, suny garden.

Allium 'Blue Eddy' is a selection of Allium senescens var. 'Glaucum' with tight clumping, spiral foliage that is a touch more blue than its parent but with the same great, late summer, 1 1/2" lavender flowers.

Allium 'Medusa' is a selection of curly allium that is similar to Allium s. glaucum and Allium 'Blue Eddy' but on a larger scale. The thin blue-green blades grow with a bit of a twist and in August they are topped with 1 1/2 to 2" light purple flowers. (PPAF)

Allium 'Millenium' has strap-like green leaves growing 12" high with showy 2" rose-purple rounded flower clusters on 18" stems. It is a sterile hybrid that adds great late summer color to the sunny garden.

Allium 'Summer Beauty' is a long blooming, large flowering ornamental onion with 1 1/2" lavender-purple pom-poms above shiny, dark green, strap-like foliage. It grows 18 to 20" high and blooms from mid-June through July.

Allium senescens, known as German garlic, has thin green blades that grow vertically with a little bit of a twist, forming a clump like a miniature daylily. In late summer each clump is covered with lavender, pom-pom shaped blooms.

Allium senescens var. 'Glaucum', curly allium, has very attractive foliage made up of fine blue-gray blades that form a swirling pattern. In late summer each clump is covered with lavender blooms and they make an excellent border plant in the hot sunny garden.

Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed) has flat orange flower clusters that bloom in early to mid summer at the tops of tall stems with green, lance shaped foliage. In Michigan they grow wild along hot and dry, sandy banks and slopes, so you don't need to water these after planting.

Baptisia 'Cherries Jubilee' (PP#23907) has uniquely colored maroon buds that open to maroon and yellow flowers which age to a smoky orange. The flowers are held on long spikes in early summer above pea-like foliage, forming a 3' high and wide clump.

Baptisia 'Dutch Chocolate' has uniquely colored purple flowers with a slight yellow midrib that take on a chocolate colored appearance, flowering in early summer on long spikes over a mound of blue-green foliage that grows 3' high and 2 to 3' wide (PP#23872) .

Baptisia 'Indigo Spires' forms a fully rounded, 3 1/2 to 4' clump of blue-green foliage and in early summer it has 12 to 15" spikes of deep violet purple flowers with a yellow midrib, all around the clump. (PP#26750)

Baptisia 'Lemon Meringue' is a wonderful, vigorous selection with brightly colored lemon yellow flowers in early summer on long spikes over a mound of blue-green foliage that grows 3' high and 3' wide. (PP#24280)

Baptisia 'Pink Truffles' brings a new color to false indigos with clear, soft lavender-pink flowers with a yellow keel. It is also a relatively compact selection, growing 2 1/2 to 3' tall and 3' wide. (PP#26588)

Baptisia 'Twilite Prairieblues' is a hybrid Baptisia with smoky purple flowers with a yellow midrib, blooming in early summer on 2' long spikes over a huge mound of blue-green foliage. This is a very large Baptisia creating a 4' tall and 5' wide clump. (PP#19011)

Belamcanda chinensis, blackberry lily, is a great plant for either the sunny or shady garden. It has iris-like foliage topped with orange, spotted flowers in summer on 24 to 36" stems followed by large pods which open to reveal blackberry-like seeds.

Belamcanda chinensis 'Freckle Face' has 2" brilliant orange blossoms with shading and speckling above green, iris-like foliage. The flowers reach about 24" high and are followed by interesting black seed clusters. Grow it in sun or shade.

Chrysanthemum 'Bolero' is a wonderful garden mum with large, single blooming apricot-orange petals around a yellow-orange center. They are large mounding to 24" high and free flowering, blooming for weeks in late summer and fall.

Dictamnus 'Purpureus' is the lavender-pink flowering variety of gas plant which has upright, 24 to 36" spikes of flowers in late spring to midsummer above bushy clumps of leathery, dark green, pinnate foliage.

Echinacea 'Pow Wow Wildberry' is a shorter coneflower with rich magenta-pink petals around a golden yellow cone on 24" stems. It flowers for a long time with nicely fragrant flowers and makes a very nice addition to the sunny border.

Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire' forms a spectacular 18" mound of reddish-purple foliage and in the spring it is topped with yellow and orange bracts. Plant it in a hot, sunny location for the deepest, darkest summer color. (PP#18585)

Geranium 'Crystal Rose' forms a dense mat of aromatic, glossy green foliage that is covered with hot pink flowers in early summer with repeat blooming until fall. It flowers 12" high and forms a slow spreading mound. (PP#20809)

Geranium 'Elizabeth Ann' is a wonderful plant with chocolate colored foliage topped with lavender flowers in the summer, plus the foliage turns red in the fall. It is easy to grow, spreading slowly to form a dense mound about 15" tall and 18" wide.

Geranium 'Rozanne' has large violet-blue, saucer shaped flowers with a lighter center that bloom for several months from mid-summer to fall! They grow from a central mounding crown up to about 18" high but each branch can spread out up to 3'.

Geranium sanguineum var. striatum has soft pink flowers with deep rose-pink veins that flower all summer above slow spreading, 8 to 10" clumps of finely dissected foliage. They are easy to grow and make a terrific border plant in the sun to part sun garden.

Heuchera 'Amethyst Myst' has excellent purple foliage with an overlay of silver that brings out the color of the dark veins. It has white flowers in the summer and grows 10" high and 18 to 24" wide. It is sun, heat, and humidity tolerant and a good choice for Southern gardens.

Heuchera 'Autumn Bride' is a spectacular, easy to grow coral bell with fuzzy, bright lime green foliage topped and a profusion of giant white flowers in September. It prefers a semi-shaded area with good drainage, growing 15 to 18" high with taller flowers.

Heuchera 'Berry Smoothie' (PP#21871) emerges in the spring with a metallic rose-pink leaves that age to a purplish color with a slight overlay. It grows 18" high and 20" wide with 28" tall white flowers.

Heuchera 'Blondie' (PP#24564) is a cute little coral bell with caramel colored foliage in the spring turning a deeper greenish color as it ages. It flowers almost all summer long with dense cream to creamy-yellow colored flowers on short stalks. Foliage grows 5" high and 8" wide.

Heuchera 'Fire Chief' (PP#21880) is an attractive red leaf coral bell that emerges bright red turning wine red and topped with light pink flowers in mid to late summer. It grows 9" high and 15" wide with 18" tall flower stalks. This variety does well in the sun and also grows well in the South.

Heuchera 'Guacamole' is a brightly colored villosa hybrid with huge lime-green leaves that really brighten up the shady garden. It is a great grower reaching 18 to 24" high and 24 to 30" wide! Plant it in part sun to nearly full shade in good, well-draining soil.

Heuchera 'Pink Pearls' (PP#27530) has orange-pink foliage that transitions to a greenish color later in the year, giving it excellent vigor. And if you love the flowers on your coral bells, this one has dense pale pink blossoms on reddish stems. It grows 15" high and 18" wide.

Heuchera 'Raspberry Regal' has green foliage with distinct veining and in early summer it will have many spikes of pink flowers that put on a great show for both the garden and the hummingbirds. The foliage will be about 8 to 12" high with 24" flower spikes and it grows 18" wide.

Heuchera 'Rave On' (PP#18127) is all about flower power! Tight and compact silvery leaves with burgundy tones are covered with pink flowers for several months from spring into summer. It grows 8" high and 14" wide with 20" flowers. Does great even in full sun.

Heuchera 'Red Lightning' (PP#27767) is a strong growing villosa hybrid with unique leaves that are yellow with dark red veins. It grows 11" high and 16" wide and white flowers midsummer. It grows best in part sun to part shade but will tolerate full shade as long as the location isn't wet.

Heuchera 'Southern Comfort' (PP#20364) has huge cinnamon-peach leaves, much like a giant form of Heuchera 'Caramel'. It has white flowers in spring and forms a large clump, growing 14" high, 24 to 30" wide, with 22" high flowers. Excellent choice for Southern gardens or more sun.

Heuchera 'Stainless Steel' (PP#23349) has shimmering foliage that starts out an iridescent purple and becomes a bright silvery-white by the end of the summer. It has many white flowers in early summer and grows 8 to 12" high with 18" wide.

Iris 'Tickle the Ivories' is an intermediate bearded iris with white blushed lilac standards and creamy white falls with apricot-tan hafts, yellow beards and blue horns. It grows to 24" tall and flowers early to mid season.

Iris 'Up and Atom' is a smaller intermediate bearded iris with golden-yellow standards that lighten to a canary yellow edge, above canary yellow standards that are lighter in the center. The beards are an attractive golden orange with a small violet blue horn. It grows to 17" tall and flowers midseason.

Leucanthemum 'Freak' (PP#23426) is a compact, long blooming shasta daisy with ruffled white petals around a yellow center. Flowers only reach 12" high and they spread about 20" wide. Deadhead and they will flower all summer long.

Leucanthemum 'Real Dream' has a tight clumping habit and large flowers have 3 layers of greenish-yellow petals and large golden centers. The flowers start out a yellowish color and mature to white. It grows 16" high and 18 to 24" wide and can flower continuously through the summer with deadheading. (PP#25664)

Leucanthemum 'Real Neat' has a unique flower form with multiple rows of perfectly fluted horizontal petals and solid gold centers. It grows 18" high and 24" wide and can flower continuously through the summer with deadheading. (PP#26185)

Leucanthemum 'Whoops-a-Daisy' (PP#27259) is a compact and nicely mounding, long flowering daisy with many white petals around a yellow-gold center. It mounds about 15" high and spreads about 20" wide. Deadhead and they will flower all summer long.

Monarda punctata 'Beebop' (PPAF) is a compact selection of the native spotted horsemint with spotted, yellow flowers surrounded by attractive pink bracts, growing 24" high and spreading 24 to 30" wide. Spotted horsemint is a drought tolerant plant that is happy in the prairie or meadow garden. It is a favorite plant for many pollinators including bees and hummingbirds and in our gardens it is a favorite for the gentle but giant great black wasps which love to drink nectar all summer long from the masses of flowers.

Monarda fistulosa is a bee balm native to prairies, unplanted fields, and dry rocky woodlands. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds enjoy the light lavender flowers all summer long. These are much more drought tolerant and mildew resistant than the Monarda didyma hybrids but are easy to grow and a wonderful plant for the wildflower garden.

Nepeta 'Purrsian Blue' (PP#24788) forms a smaller, densely branched clump of tiny, green leaves covered with many periwinkle blue flowers with dark purple calyxes from early summer into fall. It like it hot and dry and grows about 14" high and 24" wide.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage) is an excellent plant for the back of the hot, dry, sunny garden with airy lavender-blue flower spikes in late summer over finely dissected silvery-green, aromatic foliage. It grow 3 to 5' high and about 2 to 3' wide.

Platycodon 'Fuji Blue' is a tall balloon flower with star shaped violet-blue flowers on 36" stems. These do fine in full sun to part shade and work great as a transition between the sun and shade gardens.

Pulsatilla vulgaris has anemone-like bell shaped flowers in early spring over fern-like foliage forming a 12" mound followed by fluffy seed heads. This seed grown mixture has flowers in a wide array of colors that can be red, purple, dark purple, and wine. Most of the 2018/2019 crop has red flowers.

Sedum 'Abbeydore' is a compact but vigorous clumping sedum with blue-green foliage and the look of a short Sedum 'Autumn Joy'. In late summer the leaf edges and stems turn pinkish and it is topped with pink buds opening to reddish-pink flowers followed by reddish seed pods.

Sedum 'Angelina' is a low growing groundcover with bright golden yellow, soft needle-like foliage with yellow flowers. It takes on a reddish-orange tint in cold weather and the fantastic foliage persists all winter long, even in cold climates.

Sedum 'Firecracker' (PP#26595) has low growing burgundy-red foliage that holds its color all season long and is topped with vibrant pink flowers in late summer and early fall. It grows 6" high and spreads slowly to form a dense little clump.

Sedum 'Frosted Fire' is a white edge variegated sport of the blue-green leaf Sedum 'Autumn Fire'. It has nice clean variegation and pink flowers in the fall, growing relatively compact at 15" high and 18" wide.

Sedum 'Hot Stuff' (PP#17212) is a bright, neon purplish-pink with strong, short stems on a very compact plant. It makes an excellent companion to taller Sedum such as 'Matrona' or 'Xenox' and makes the most impact in the garden when planted in groups.

Sedum 'Lime Zinger' (PP#24632) is a slowly spreading plant with green leaves edged in reddish-pink and topped with large clusters of pink flowers in late summer. It prefers semi-dry conditions, grows 4" tall, and spreads to form a mat of foliage.

Sedum 'Pure Joy' is a short, semi-upright sedum with blue-green, serrated foliage that is completely covered with bubblegum pink flowers in late summer. It grows 12" high and is a great addition to the dry, sunny border. (PP#24194)

Sedum acre is a tightly low growing groundcover topped with yellow flowers in the spring. It grows 2 to 4" high and spreads as far as allowed, looking great cascading over rocks or used between stepping stones, just trim away the excess.

Sedum album 'Coral Carpet' is a very low groundcover with small rounded coral turning green leaflets and tiny, starry white flowers in late spring. New growth is coral colored and then it becomes green.

Tanacetum 'Robinson's Mix' has early summer flowers in a mixture of pale pink, pink, or magenta-red, yellow centered daisies on 24 to 36" stems. Each plant will be a different color, but they all have attractive, lacy, fern-like foliage.

Tanacetum 'Robinson's Red' produces many magenta-red (deep pink and not a true red), yellow centered daisies on 24 to 36" stems in early summer above lacy, fern-like foliage. It will naturalize in a sunny, well-drained location and makes a great cut flower.

Veronica 'Purpleicious' (PP#17639) is an easy to grow, long flowering, summer blooming perennial for the sunny garden. It has many light violet-purple spikes that grow 24" high, spreading 15 to 18" wide, preferring a well-drained, semi-dry soil.

Veronica 'Whitewater' (PP#22783) is a white sport of the popular Veronica 'Waterperry Blue'. It is an easy to grow groundcover for the sun to part sun garden, forming a low, trailing mat of shiny green leaves covered with tiny white flowers in spring and summer.

Yucca 'Color Guard' is a colorful plant with creamy yellow centers and blue-green edges. It stays small and is slow growing to about 18 to 24" high and wide yet adds an excellent foliage accent to the sunny garden, looking great with dark leaved Sedum or hardy Geranium.

Yucca 'Excalibur' has attractive blue-green foliage with many fine filaments at its edges, forming a uniform, spiky, 24" high by 30" wide mound. In summer it will have spikes of creamy white flowers. Overall it is smaller and more uniform than the species.

News

09-24-2018

Now shipping perennials for fall planting:

Thank you for a great year so far. We are now shipping perennial orders for fall planting and will continue shipping into November. Lily bulbs will be updated in October as they are still very green and the bulbs need more time to develop. If they don't develop in time for fall planting we will overwinter them in our coolers for spring shipping.

Your order can be shipped almost immediately or you can specify your preferred shipping time at checkout. Please note that we are not taking spring orders yet.

The nursery is still open to the public 7 days a week from 9am to dark. All potted plants remaining in the main sales area are on clearance - check our facebook page for details. We will close October 31st so if you are in the area we would love to show you around and help you pick out some plants. We are located on the west side of US Highway 127, 15 miles south of Jackson, Michigan, and 1/2 mile north of US-12.

Feel free to email us or call us toll free at 866-568-1474 with any questions and thank you very much for your continued support!